Read another old Stock Car Racing magazine from that old stack – February 1976. Here’s some interesting takes on things going on back then:
- Engine failures were common in big races, including NASCAR Grand National (Winston Cup) series races. Few cars on the lead lap at the finish was also common. (Today engine failures are pretty rare, and about half the field finishes on the lead lap – although wave-arounds and Lucky Dog rules didn’t exist back in 1976).
- L.D. Ottinger brought a new $30,000 Banjo Matthews car to the World Service Life 300 (NASCAR Sportsman class, Charlotte) – which was considered a “Rolls-Royce” of Sportsman race cars, and boasted the slogan “Where Money Buys Speed”. Won the pole and led early, but faded and eventually was a DNF (16th place) after getting caught up in a mid-pack wreck. (That would be about $136,500 in today’s dollars).
- Grand National drivers routinely entered Sportsman races back then – the field of the World Service Life 300 included Darrell Waltrip, Dick Brooks, Neil Bonnett, Dale Earnhardt, Bobby Allison, Morgan Shepherd, and Harry Gant. (Although except for Allison those drivers were very early in their Cup careers.)
- In the Midwest, ARCA had been the dominate sanction but newcomer ASA was out-drawing ARCA due to a better price-per-performance ratio. To attract ASA fans back to ARCA, ARCA President John Marcum set up a “showdown” race between the two sanctions. Few ARCA cars entered due to the weight and power advantages of the ASA cars, and Joy Fair of ASA won. (Both sanctions have had their reorganizations since then, but ARCA usually runs larger heavier cars than ASA. Joy Fair was successful in both sanctions, and became ARCA’s winningest driver.)
- Big block motors were replacing small block motors in Modifieds. Several long-time successful teams were quitting due to costs – typically $7000 for a big block vs. $2000 for a small block. (Later Chevrolet would flood the market with relatively cheap 350 ci small block engines and racing parts, which along with rules changes chased out the big blocks.)
- Complaints about the National Speed Limit – 55 mph – but kudos to CB radios used to circumvent it.